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Park prescribes battlefield burn

The fire Wednesday is dependent on weather conditions in Gettysburg

The Evening Sun @theeveningsun on Twitter

Posted:
10/27/2013 05:06:59 PM EDT

National Park Service fire specialists plan to burn 13 acres of the Gettysburg National Military Park this week to test new ways of maintaining the condition of the Civil War-era battlefield, according to a park news release.
(FILE)

A map of the area near Synder Farm in the Gettysburg National Military Park that will be part of a prescribed fire by the National Park Service on Wednesday afternoon. (Submitted - The Evening Sun)

National Park Service fire specialists plan to burn 13 acres of the Gettysburg National Military Park this week to test new ways of maintaining the condition of the Civil War-era battlefield, according to a park news release.

The prescribed fire is set to start at noon Wednesday on Snyder farm, in the southern portion of the battlefield, and is funded by the National Park Service Wildland Fire Management Program, stated the release from Katie Lawhon, park Management Assistant.

The blaze will test whether fire can help accomplish several park objectives including the ability to reduce the encroachment of woody species in the open fields, Lawhon said.

Other objectives include maintaining the condition of the battlefield as experience by the soldiers who fought there, perpetuating the open space character of the landscape, maintaining wildlife habitat, controlling invasive exotic species and reducing plant overgrowth, she said.

The date of the prescribed fire is dependent on weather conditions such as wind, temperature and relative humidity. If conditions are not within required parameters, an alternative date will be selected.

The burn area, located east of Emmitsburg Road, will be mowed and wetted with water prior to ignition. A sprinkler line will be set along the perimeter to thoroughly wet the control lines before the fire, according to the release.

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Personnel from the National Park Service, the PA Bureau of Forestry and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service will help with the project by monitor air quality, smoke impacts and visibility on nearby roads throughout the afternoon.

After the burn, the area will be monitored to ensure the fire is completely out, the release stated.